MANUFACTURING


Powering industrial progress – How ASICs drive UK manufacturing capabilities


In June 2025, the UK government released The UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy for Advanced Manufacturing, outlining the UK’s aim to capitalise on the opportunities of Industry 4.0. However, realising this ambition hinges  reliability.


By Ross Turnbull, Director of Business Development and Product  Swindon Silicon Systems


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y 2035, the UK aims to be recognised as a global leader in advanced manufacturing. Making this vision a reality requires a strong foundation in microelectronics, with semiconductors  critical enablers of automation, connectivity  the Government has committed an additional £2.6 billion to semiconductor research and development. The semiconductor family is vast and varied, including general-purpose central processing units, graphics processing units and programmable devices such as Field- Programmable Gate Arrays. Within this family, ASICs occupy a unique and critical role.


A keystone for the UK’s industrial future


ASICs are highly specialised microchips engineered at the transistor level to perform 


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To stay ahead, the new manufacturing strategy prioritises advanced technical development and digital adoption to drive greater  more sustainable air travel.


30 SEPTEMBER 2025 | ELECTRONICS FOR ENGINEERS ”


 processors, which are designed to handle a wide range of functions, ASICs provide deterministic, low-latency processing that’s essential for real-time control in industrial automation, robotics and advanced aerospace systems.


By integrating analogue and digital functions, such as signal conditioning, high-resolution data conversion, power management and embedded security onto a single chip, ASICs reduce system complexity, improve reliability and lower power consumption. This consolidation enhances performance in demanding industrial environments by minimising interconnect issues and electromagnetic interference.


ASICs also reduce the chances of


obsolescence. By consolidating multiple functions into a single chip, they reduce dependence on off-the-shelf components that may be discontinued or become obsolete. This long-term availability provides  continuity of their products, minimising the need for costly redesigns and safeguarding production lifecycles.


Although ASICs were not explicitly referenced in the new manufacturing strategy, these capabilities make them indispensable for creating the connected, automated and future-ready manufacturing ecosystems the UK aims to develop.


Enabling smart factories Smart factories are built of interconnected Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) sensors,


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